Husband. Father. Writer. Podcaster.

Easter Monday choice

Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching at the 7am Easter Sonrise Service. The focus of the message (which you can read here) is that on Easter Sunday, Jesus turned Mary Magdalene’s focus from backward to forward. Mary wanted to linger in the garden. She was focused on the body. She wanted to hold on to Jesus.

Jesus would not allow her to stay there, to cling to his body. Instead He sent her to proclaim to the disciples that He had risen and would ascend to “my Father and your Father, my God and your God” (John 20:17).

You and I have that same choice today and every day. We can choose to look back. We can choose to cling to the death and the tomb. We can choose to listen to the voices of criticism. We can choose to cling to our struggles. We can choose to hold on to the bad decisions we have made in the past.

Jesus offers us another way. Jesus offers us the opportunity on Easter morning, and every morning, to die to that old stuff and live resurrected, renewed and focusing forward. We can live for him, following his way, living his call upon our lives.